Short answer: Pennsylvania requires three clearances for adults who work or volunteer with kids in youth sports: the PA State Police criminal history check (Act 34), the DHS child abuse clearance (Act 151, which some forms call Act 33) and an FBI fingerprint check. Act 153 of 2014 extended all three to youth sports programs, volunteers included.
If a governing-body email or a registration form just told you a coach needs “Act 34 and Act 151 clearances” and an FBI check, that means three background checks. You don’t have to study separate laws. This post matches each act number to its clearance and covers how Act 153 applies to youth sports leagues. For step-by-step help applying, see How to get PA clearances for youth sports.
| Act and year | What it is | Agency and portal | Employee fee | Volunteer fee | Who needs it | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 34 of 1985 | Pennsylvania criminal history check | PA State Police, PATCH | $22 | Free | Every employee and volunteer with routine contact with children | Every 60 months |
| Act 151 of 1994 (also labeled Act 33) | Child abuse history clearance | PA Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Portal | $13 | Free | Every employee and volunteer with routine contact with children | Every 60 months |
| CPSL §6344 (applied to youth programs by Act 153 of 2014) | FBI fingerprint-based criminal history check | DHS, through IdentoGO | $27.95 | $25.95 | Employees, plus volunteers who haven’t lived in PA for the full past 10 years and haven’t had a DHS FBI check since moving to PA | Every 60 months |
| Act 153 of 2014 | Change to the Child Protective Services Law (23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63) that applies all three checks to youth programs, volunteers included | Not a clearance | n/a | n/a | Programs responsible for children, including sports | n/a |
| Act 15 of 2015 | Follow-up change to the law that set the 60-month renewal and waived volunteer fees | Not a clearance | n/a | n/a | Same as Act 153 | Set the 60-month cycle |
| Act 168 of 2014 | Employment history review for school job applicants | PDE, school districts | n/a | n/a | School employees, not community leagues | At hire |
| Act 24 of 2011 | Arrest and conviction reporting for school employees | PDE, school districts | n/a | n/a | School employees | Ongoing |
Fees are the DHS and PSP rates as of October 2026. Register for the FBI check with a DHS service code. DHS won’t accept an FBI check run through PDE or another agency. Act 168 and Act 24 apply only to schools. Leagues run into them when a coach also works for a school district or the league plays on school property, which is why they appear on so many forms.
Before Act 153, clearance rules mostly covered school and child-care employees. Act 153 extended them to anyone in a covered program who is responsible for a child’s welfare or has direct contact with children. The definitions in CPSL §6303 name “a sports or athletic program” and “a recreational camp or program.” That puts your rec league, travel club, clinic and summer camp in scope.
Two groups are covered:
Whether someone is paid drives most of the differences, so decide that for each person before they apply.
The FBI waiver for volunteers. An unpaid volunteer can sign a residency affirmation instead of getting FBI fingerprints if they’ve lived in Pennsylvania for the entire past 10 years, or if they’ve already had a DHS FBI check since moving to Pennsylvania. They still need the State Police check and the child abuse clearance. A volunteer who meets neither condition needs the FBI check. Adult employees always need it. (CPSL §6344.2)
Paid teens need two clearances. Employees aged 14 to 17 need the child abuse clearance and the State Police check. They can skip the FBI check if they’ve lived in Pennsylvania for the past 10 years, or have had a DHS FBI check since moving to Pennsylvania, and both the teen and a parent or guardian sign a statement that the teen isn’t disqualified.
Out-of-state volunteers get 30 days. A volunteer who lives in another state can serve in Pennsylvania for up to 30 days a calendar year without Pennsylvania clearances if they have the matching clearances from their home state. After 30 days, they need the full Pennsylvania set. A tournament weekend usually fits inside that window. A full season usually doesn’t.
Free volunteer clearances can’t be used for a paid job. Clearances you get with the volunteer fee waiver are for volunteering only. If a volunteer coach becomes paid staff, they need employee clearances. It doesn’t work the other way: employee clearances can be used for volunteering.
Renew every 60 months, counting from the oldest clearance. Clearances must be renewed every 60 months, starting from the date on the oldest of the three. Take a coach whose child abuse clearance is dated March 2022 and whose PSP check is dated June 2023. All of that coach’s clearances are due for renewal in March 2027. (CPSL §6344.4)
Provisional hire for employees only. A paid employee can start provisionally for one period of up to 45 days. Before they start, they must have applied for all three clearances and received either the child abuse and State Police results or the FBI result. They must also sign a statement that they aren’t disqualified, and the employer can’t know of anything that would disqualify them. During the provisional period, they can’t work alone with children and must work near a permanent employee. If a result disqualifies them, the employer must dismiss them right away. (CPSL §6344(m))
No provisional period for volunteers. A volunteer can’t coach, travel with or supervise kids until all required clearances are back and on file.
Report new arrests within 72 hours. Anyone who holds clearances must tell the program within 72 hours if they’re arrested for or convicted of a disqualifying offense. The same deadline applies if they’re named as a perpetrator in a founded or indicated child abuse report.
| Clearance | Agency and portal | Employee fee | Volunteer fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child abuse clearance | DHS, Child Welfare Portal | $13 | Free |
| PA State Police check | PSP, PATCH | $22 | Free |
| FBI fingerprint check | DHS, IdentoGO | $27.95 | $25.95 |
The FBI fees changed on October 1, 2026. Volunteers get the child abuse clearance free once every 57 months, so a volunteer who reapplies for it early may be charged. The volunteer State Police check is free.
Once you know which clearances each person needs, the next job is getting them filed and tracked. How to get PA clearances for youth sports walks through each portal step by step. For timelines by sport, see our guides for PA flag football, PA soccer and PA seasonal staff and camps.
Act 34 of 1985 refers to the Pennsylvania State Police criminal history check, which you request through PATCH. Act 33 is another name some forms use for the DHS child abuse clearance, also called the Act 151 clearance.
It’s the Pennsylvania child abuse history clearance from the Department of Human Services. It shows whether a person is listed as a perpetrator in a founded or indicated child abuse report.
Act 153 of 2014 changed the Child Protective Services Law (23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63). Employees and volunteers in programs responsible for children, including sports programs and camps, must get the child abuse clearance and the State Police check, and in most cases the FBI check.
Only if they haven’t lived in Pennsylvania for the entire past 10 years and haven’t had a DHS FBI check since moving to Pennsylvania. Unpaid volunteers who meet either condition can sign a residency affirmation instead.
No. Clearances you get free with the volunteer waiver are valid for volunteering only. Paid positions need employee clearances.
If they’re paid and 14 or older, yes. They need the child abuse clearance and the State Police check. If they’ve lived in Pennsylvania for the past 10 years, or have had a DHS FBI check since moving here, a signed statement from the teen and a parent can replace the FBI check. The volunteer requirement applies to adults, so unpaid volunteers under 18 aren’t covered.
A paid coach can start provisionally for up to 45 days after applying for all three clearances and receiving either the child abuse and State Police results or the FBI result. They can’t work alone with kids during that time. A volunteer coach can’t start until all required clearances are back.